South West

West

Melbourne's Best Mexican

Stories

2 August 2018

Round up the gang because margarita Mondays, taco Tuesdays and sangria Sundays are back! That’s right, get a Mexican feast any day of the week at one of the many tantalising restaurants in Melbourne’s burbs.

1. BAY CITY BURRITO, HAWTHORN

Gary, the owner of Bay City Burrito [838 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn], was born and bred in San Francisco and grew up frequenting the Mission District — the spiritual birthplace of the big burrito. After 25 years of working in the IT business, Gary decided it was time to fulfil his passion for food and bring the big burrito to Melbourne. We suggest locking your lips around the Bay City Bomber, the biggest burrito on the menu. It’s made up of steak, chicken, black beans, Spanish rice, cheese, guacamole, lime sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, black olives and salsa. Make sure your bellies are rumbling before attempting to finish this burrito — it’s mammoth! After a quick snack rather than meal? Trying the jalapeno poppers — crumbed jalapenos filled with a cream cheese blend. Delicioso! In the unlikely event that you don’t find something you like on the menu, you can build your own burrito for less than $15. At Bay City Burrito you can expect delectable comfort food that won’t pull on your purse strings.

2. LOS HERMANOS, BRUNSWICK

Located in the popular and laid-back inner-city suburb of Brunswick is Los Hermanos[339 Victoria Street, Brunswick]. Bruno Carretto prides his restaurant on offering authentic Mexican, that attracts foodies from all over Melbourne and keeps the locals coming back for more. Their $5 tacos are a hit, not only for the price but more importantly the taste. Menu highlights include the De Barbacoa (slow cooked leg of lamb served on an open tortilla with lettuce, onion, coriander and salsa borracha) and the De Pescado (fish filet friend in beer batter on a bed of cabbage, served on an open tortilla with coriander and chipotle mayo). Open until 1am Thursday through to Saturday, Los Hermanos is the perfect place to get your taco fix after a night out in Brunswick.

3. HECHO EN MEXICIO, BRIGHTON

Head bayside to enjoy sangria by the shore.Hecho En Mexico [229 Bay Street, Brighton] has a range of delicious Mexican-inspired beverages on the menu, with sangria being a popular choice. Keep in mind, Mexican sangria is slightly different to the Spanish variety. While similar in taste, Mexican sangria has a higher alcohol content. Hecho En Mexico has two other locations residing in Fitzroy and South Yarra. Time to get down the most important part: the food menu. We have our eyes firmly fixed on the nachos. Corn chips with melted cheese? Yes please! It also features pico de gallo, sour cream, jalapenos, black beans, salsa and chipotle aioli. If you’re after something a little sweeter, stick with the nacho theme and try the cinnamon nachos. Dig into the fried tortilla chips sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, drizzled with warm chocolate and served with strawberries and ice cream.

4. LOS POLLOS, FOOTSCRAY

Get down to Los Pollos [230 Nicholson Street, Footscray] if you want to experience Mexican-style street food at its best. With a focus on flame-grilled chicken, we are positive the menu will leave your mouth watering. Los Pollos was inspired by Pollerias, which are family-run roadside chicken shops in Mexico. The chicken here is 100% free range and is marinated overnight in citrus and herbs before being cooked on an open flame grill. Told you your mouth would be watering! We recommend trying the Hot! Chicken Taco. It pairs Los Pollos’ famous flame-grilled chicken perfectly with hot pineapple habanero salsa and pickled onions. Feeling a little more peckish? Pick any three tacos for just $14.50. Add an ice-cold Corona to the mix and you’ve got yourself a winning combination.

5. VILLAGE CANTINA, YARRAVILE

Village Cantina[30 Ballarat Street, Yarraville] resides in the city’s western suburb of Yarraville. It‘s a casual and relaxed setting to enjoy Mexican dining, which sounds perfect to us. For vegetarians who enjoy Mexican flavours, Village Cantina’s menu has a variety of tasty options. Try adding tofu to any burrito, taco or ensalada. Or, try the mushroom quesadilla. It looks too good to pass up with spiced mushrooms, blended cheese, spinach and queso fresco. Meat eaters don’t worry, you’re well catered for too. There are heaps of tasty chicken, beef and pork options for you to choose from. For drinks, Village Cantina has specialty flavoured margaritas including pineapple and coconut. Located just one block away from Yarraville train station, why not enjoy that extra margarita or two and catch the train home?

6. HELLO JOSE, WEST MELBOURNE

If cheap Mexican meal deals are what you’re after, Hello Jose [85 Peel Street, West Melbourne] is the place to go. With specials on almost every day of the week, you are sure to get a bang for your buck. Start your week right with the classic taco Tuesday, where you can save some pennies with $5 tacos and tequila shots. To cheer up those mid-week blues, on Wednesdays or Thursdays you can round up your colleagues and enjoy $10 margaritas to help keep you going through to the weekend. Love Sangria? Check out Hello Jose’s Sangria Sundays where you can enjoy the featured drink for a bargain price of $6; and if this deal wasn’t already good enough try adding $1 chipotle wings to the mix. While these deals are all great value, we haven’t even mentioned the best yet — bottomless brunch. For $60 per head you and seven other friends can enjoy an smorgasbord of tacos and chilaquiles (tortillas bathed in green or red salsa), plus 2 hours of bottomless beers, bubbles and sangria. It’s a great option for when you’re celebrating something special.